


riptide

by vosian_nightmare



Series: identity [2]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, i had money on din getting caught first by gideon, oh well, post episode au: chapter 13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:43:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27706447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vosian_nightmare/pseuds/vosian_nightmare
Summary: He doesn’t remember much, to be honest.-the aftermath of blood // water
Relationships: Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Din Djarin
Series: identity [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043688
Comments: 5
Kudos: 121





	riptide

**Author's Note:**

> yall asked for it so here it is
> 
> also while blood/water was one scene this one is smaller and more broken up into little scenes and written with a lot more prose
> 
> i apologize to folks with screen readers
> 
> yee haw

He needs to prot t ttectt t thhe 

_ch il d ._

_It h hu rtss s_

Th e ch hi l d -

_he cann n nne ver g ggo h ome_

_th e f ffoun lin gs a are t the f f u t u r e **. . . .**_

**_p a i n_ **

so _m u c hh p a i n - -_

_h he b broke the c r e e d_

_s sso m m **m muchh** h p **a i** n _

his r resp ons ibil it y iss s _t to tth h e_ _**c h i l d**_

_**p a i n** _

* * *

He doesn’t remember much, to be honest.

Remembers the talk before hand, and his attempts at escape.

Remembers… remembers the feeling of Gideon…

He remembers the feelings of pain. Of failure. Of determination. He remembers the need to keep the child safe.

He remembers that damn saber cutting and searing across his skin.

He remembers…

Soft hands. The feeling of someone… touching him…

Lightness. Weightlessness. He remembers the feeling of complete…

He remembers seeing, barely, through the blood and bruises, Gideon fall.

He remembers finally succumbing to the dark.

* * *

The child is crying.

He needs to-

A hand pushes him down, softly.

Words. Soft ones. Trying to calm him- to get him to put his guard down.

There's a prick on the side of his neck. The darkness crawls back towards him no matter how hard he fights it. 

The child doesn’t stop crying.

* * *

Din wakes up just once more, just a little more conscious. He’s… floating. And not the weightless, drug-induced kind.

He tried to take a breath but some kind of foul-tasting liquid filled his mouth and throat. He was drowning.

Panic really started to set in then. Din thrashes, vaguely aware of tugging on wires and tubes as he focuses on getting out of whatever was _restraining him under water he can’t breath-_

Finally, he’s able to pull away from whatever was restraining him. Din swings a fist forward and hits glass. And hits it. And hits it again until the water- he thinks it’s water he c _ant see-_ lowers to a point that he can catch a proper breath. In front of him, the glass gives way, finally, and he finds himself falling-

Someone catches him. He’s coughing up the not-water. Someone is talking to him but he can’t-

He can’t see them-

He’s-

His **_helmet-_**

****

**_-the creed-_ **

Din looks up.

The shocked faces of Greef and Cara are clearer than he's ever seen them. Next to him, the one that caught him, was Ahsoka.

In front of him, behind where the helmet rolls away from him, stands the child, partially hidden behind a door

Greef clears his throat. “Mando-” He starts, taking a step towards him.

Din stumbles to his feet. “Don’t-” he trips but doesn’t quite fall. He pushes away from Ashoka's steadying hand. “Don’t- don’t call me-” his voice breaks. He refuses to look any of them in the eye.

He takes another step, more stable this time, towards the door where the child was- had been- hiding behind. He’d gone now. 

Din stops was he passes the discarded helmet. “Don’t call me that…” He whispers, mostly to himself.

He leaves.

* * *

The ship they were in wasn't his. It was too big- far too big. He honestly doesn't even remember what happened to the _Razor Crest_. Was it destroyed? Was it still on the Imperial ship?

He doesn't know. It doesn't matter. Not right now. He needs to- 

He needs-

Honestly, he doesn't know what he needs right now.

* * *

They find him eventually. It's hard not to. The ship is bigger than Din's but it's still a ship. In space. Plus he's still dripping that not-water, the bacta-water.

He wasn't wearing any of his armour. Gideon had... had...

Cara was holding It. The helmet. He could see them in the reflection in the window he was looking out of. Ahsoka whispers something to Greef, who nods, before leaving the three of them.

Cara was saying something but Din wasn’t- he couldn’t muster enough energy to pay her any attention. He just stood there with his forehead against the cool glass, his eyes closed.

Years of battle ready instincts told him Cara had moved closer. She never touched him, no, she was too smart to touch someone who just escaped captivity.

She says something again. He hears his name from the mouth of a friend for the first time in years. That’s what makes him turn.

Cara doesn’t smile. Doesn’t offer empty words. She just says, “He’s scared,” and “He needs you.” She holds out the discarded helmet.

He takes it.

* * *

The child comes to him eventually.

Din sits where Greef and Cara left him, his back against the cool glass and the helmet in his lap staring back at him.

He doesn’t notice the child until he coos.

Din whips his head up a little too fast. The kid chirps and jumps behind the door frame.

Din doesn’t move.

Eventually the kid reappears. Slowly, he shuffles over to Din, his arms out.

Din sets the helmet aside to pick him up. “Hey, kid.” He offers a small smile, but he’s afraid it probably came out more like a grimace.

The child doesn’t notice. As soon as the kid was in his lap he was reaching for the discarded helmet and making little distressed sounds.

Din gently bumps his knee a few times. “Hey, no.” He sighs. “I can’t-” He pauses. The child was looking at him with wide eyes. Wide, sad eyes.

The kid coos again and reaches put towards Din's face. 

Din then realizes that this is the first time the kid's seen him without the helmet on. 

It's scary. 

Slowly, Din lowers his face until he's close enough for the kid to run his small hands across his face. 

The kid lets out a small giggle and despite everything that's happened, Din smiles. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed your stay at comma town,,,
> 
> i looooved doing the beginning bit i saw something similar done in another fic and i drove myself to tears trying to figure out how they did it
> 
> this was really hard to write tbh i went back and forth about just completely starting over or just editing what i had several times and then the new episode came out and im not used to writing au so really this fic tested me
> 
> i might come back later to add stuff or edit it so if u like it now as is i recommend downloading it but be on the lookout for edits
> 
> hope yall enjoyed it


End file.
